Droplets of Rain
by dolce vita moderata
Summary: And together we become closer with the rain. /Collection of One-shots\
1. Lapis Lazuli Rain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters because Masashi Kishimoto does! I don't own the song that is being used either, it belongs to Alice Nine.**

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* * *

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_[_瑠璃の雨_]_

曇り空降り注いだ 雨、雫  
悲しみ 潤む目 隠す為?  
傘をさす手を遮り 俯いた  
見上げてた 透明な空

[Alice Nine]

* * *

"_It's raining Sasuke-kun!_"

**drip. **

_"Hn. It's just water Sakura."_

**drop.**

_"Hehe I know, but isn't it pretty?"_

**drip..**

_"..."_

**drop..**

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

**drip...**

_"What?"_

**drop...**

_"...hehe nevermind."_

_

* * *

_

.

..

...

..

.

I never understood why some people disliked the rain or just the thought that it wasn't going to be a sunny day. Well I was one of the few out of all the people I knew who truly appreciated what rain had to offer. Looking up at the gray sky I never thought it was depressing, I found it very tranquil and serene. To me the sky is at its peak of beauty when it's down pouring but to others they make it appear as if it was the worst. Isn't it weird how beautiful something appears to one person but then appears completely different to another? I guess I could understand why some people dislike the rain but there's something about it, something calming and nurturing that brings my mind at peace.

Maybe it's just me, but it's always been a peaceful time to relax and enjoy life from nature's raw beauty. And when there's lightning and thunder it just adds to the wonders of my thoughts. Even though the lightning and thunder can be frightening at times I love the sound. The loud clashing and strikes of electricity coming from up above. This spectacle was something I never took for granted because I learned to appreciate each powerful strike of light. Though I know in reality it's dangerous to me it just adds to the mystery of the world. But still my mind would be at ease every time the weather had rain to its always changing schedule. But it would always bring me back to something I would not think about until this certain time.

Through my eyes it was always a miraculous sight that I would capture in my mind. Every now and then I would imagine it when it wasn't raining but only when I would think of him. And sometimes thinking back to that perfect image it would bring tears to my eyes. But you know we all need to cry every now and then the sky even does. It cries rain like how people cry tears. Though I never may weep as much as the sky does each tear that runs down my cheek has a meaning. No matter how non-significant it may be what became of my feelings is seen through the shedding of my tears.

Whether I'm crying about a loss, or out of frustration or just from pure happiness, it's all seen through those small drops of water. Even if I'm a strong and determined woman it doesn't matter. The strongest of people need to let everything out once in a while. 'Cause I've learned countless of times that bottling it in never works or helps. But truly, it's so breath-taking. Just the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground can make me break down. And the way the sky looks as one after the other water comes pouring down from above. It's such a great time to let all emotions out. I never fail to do so either but no one knows of my grief. It's always hidden.

Because I never cry alone never at this time, I cry when the sky does. When it rains I let all my heart's sorrow out, but never do I feel like I'm all by myself. Because somewhere out there I know that someone else is crying as well. And together we become closer with the rain.

It sounds silly doesn't it? You may not realize it but oh so many cry with me and the sky. . .

.

..

...

..

.

_Because all of our tears is the sky's tears. . ._

_

* * *

_

"It's okay you know?" I said to the man across from me as his appearance somewhat blended into the subtle grayness of nature's grief. It didn't surprise me that the rain brought out his best features. He was always attractive looking and extremely handsome, yet seeing him outside in the rain just gave me a different sight of him.

He didn't answer me as we continued to stand outside as the rain poured down on our backs soaking up our clothes. His impassive face never changed as time slowly moved on. The rain never let out either but I continued to stand my ground as I waited to meet his gaze.

"It's okay to cry. No one will see you... they'll only see the rain."

I wasn't sure if he noticed but at that time I did. Though my own eyes were blurry I could still see because he was the only thing in my vision. He was the only thing that I kept focus of at the moment. Right now he was the most important person that I needed to be with.

He would never admit it because that's just the way he is but just like me and the sky, he was crying. He was shedding tears letting the sky know that he felt the same way. Letting me know his pain, his hurt and everything he went through just to get to this point. Letting me understand and realize that this wasn't a dream but a real moment that's unimaginable when it comes to him.

He was so beautiful even through all the fogginess and blurriness. Even if I couldn't smile or laugh from felicity I felt so relieved and prideful. I really thought that I lost him forever, that I would never be able to find him again. But there we were older and wiser, standing and crying with the rain.

The coldness and numbness of our skin didn't even matter. Right now it was just us. No one else it was our time. For once I saw the real him, not some conjured up image I extracted from my mind. At his most vulnerable stage I saw the man that I truly fell in love with. Of course he would never show anyone but I'm glad he did with me. He let me out of all the people in the world, see him cry. For this I felt truly blessed and relieved at the same time.

So I walked up to him and softly pulled him into a soft embrace. Though he never returned this gesture of affection, it was enough. He was enough for me and I never wanted to let him go. In the end we stayed there crying.

.

..

...

..

.

_Just me, him and the sky. . .  
_

_._

_.._

_..._

_.._

_._

_

* * *

_

**drip.**

_"Sakura."_

**drop.**

_"Yes Sasuke-kun?"_

**drip..**

_"Let's go home."_

**drop..**

**

* * *

**

_[Lapis Lazuli Rain]_

_The rain that fell from the cloudy sky, these drops  
Are they for hiding my sadness and teary eyes?  
Holding an umbrella, I covered my eyes with my hand, and cast them down  
I looked up at the transparent sky_

[Alice Nine]

* * *

Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. If you find any please tell me so I could fix it.

Leave a **review** and tell me what you think please. Thanks for reading!

~七転八起


	2. Winter Sleep

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters because Masashi Kishimoto does! I do not own the song being used either, it belongs to Olivia Lufkin.**

.

* * *

_[Winter Sleep]_

_Will you hold me now? Hold me now,_

_My frozen heart  
I'm lost in deep winter sleep  
I can't seem to find my way out alone  
Can you wake me?  
_

[OLIVIA]

* * *

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

_.  
_

_ "What?"_

_..  
_

_ "Why do people hate winter?"_

_...  
_

_ "Because it's cold."_

_..  
_

_ "Eh? That's so silly!"_

_.  
_

_ ". . . Hn."_

* * *

.

..

.

Contrary to many people's belief, spring was never my preferred season. Though my hair, eyes, and even my name gave off the mood of spring, it just wasn't what I loved most.

Ever since I was young, winter had always been my favorite season. Despite the coldness and the ice and the wind, I'd always managed to see the true beauty behind it's frostiness.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw it like I could. Though people were excited for the holiday season, they constantly complained about how chilly it was. I've always felt bad for winter because it seemed like the most hated season and honestly, I never understood why.

Whenever I asked someone why they hated winter, the answer was always the same. _It's just too cold_. If there was a way to show them how great winter could be, I would definitely try to change their minds. But whenever I did get the opportunity, they would never think differently and I would feel defeated because they never gave winter a chance.

It was absolutely ridiculous. Even though at times I did get annoyed by the icy weather, it was never enough for me to resent it.

But it was so funny. The only people who did understand my love for winter were the children in my village. But how could they not?

Sometimes I would walk to the park, sit on a bench, and watch them play. Their laughter and screams of joy were always comforting after hearing relentless comments from others about winter. At times like these I would wish that I was a child once again. Just having fun and playing in the snow to my hearts content. Building snowmen, making snow angels, having snowball fights, but really, just enjoying what winter offered.

Honestly, I was always baffled when someone would tell me their favorite season was summer. Summer was blazing hot and yet so many adored the scorching season. Again, it was ridiculous.

If I wasn't so stubborn then I probably wouldn't have cared. But winter meant so much to me. If you just watched the winter sky, you would see one by one, snowflakes gracefully falling down from the heavens and you would know how I feel. If you just saw the village, you would see how beautiful it would look as holiday lights would adorn buildings, shining brightly during the night and you would know how I feel. If you just pressed yourself against a cold window and breathed, you would see a fog and after drawing a picture on it, you would know how I feel.

Really, it was the simple things. But no one could see it.

Whenever winter ended, I would always be disappointed because no one would see winter for what it really was.

And I would cry.

* * *

..

_He was known as winter. She was known as spring._

_But she loved winter, and wanted to be in it forever._

_And he? He didn't know what he wanted anymore._

_..  
_

* * *

It was a cold winter day, the snow was falling heavily as it began to pile up on the ground. Children were seen playing happily, parents were seen grumpily shoveling away, and he was seen just passing by.

He always made it a habit to go the park whenever it snowed. He never understood why, but his legs would always lead him there without realization.

But soon after arriving, he would always regret it.

She was always there, sitting on the bench he would sit on whenever the snow came. It was annoying but he would sit there anyway despite her presence.

Though he would try his best to ignore her, his efforts were always proved useless.

"Hello Sasuke-kun!"

And he would never respond.

"It's snowing quite a bit isn't it? I wonder how many feet of snow it will be."

". . ."

He sat there quietly pretending he wasn't listening.

"Hm, I wonder what Naruto is doing. He's probably sleeping in bed," she laughed.

Her laughter echoed in his mind as they sat there in silence.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

Though he was facing forward, his slight glance towards her made it clear he was listening.

"Did you know people call you winter?"

". . ."

"They say you're so cold and bitter and emotionless, just like winter."

He sat there closing his eyes. She was really getting on his nerves.

"But I do have to agree with them," His fists clenched in annoyance as he tried his best to calm himself down.

What an annoying girl.

"You are just like winter Sasuke-kun."

With that she got up and left him there sitting alone.

Somehow it seemed colder.

* * *

The next time it snowed he didn't go to the park. Instead he stayed at home sitting on the couch looking out the window as the snow came down.

Frost was forming on the window making it hard for him to see the outside world. But he continued to stare anyway.

For the past couple of days, the conversation he had with her wouldn't leave his mind. No matter how hard he wanted to forget their stupid conversation, her voice would always pop up when he least expected it.

Sighing in frustration, he put on a jacket and scarf and left the house.

He needed a walk to clear his mind.

Though it was getting dark, the snow still kept on falling though it wasn't as much as the previous time. He decided he would go to the park like always since he didn't really want to break his routine. He felt somewhat content though, thinking that she wouldn't be there since it was almost nightfall.

But she was there like always.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up."

He mentally slapped himself. Of course she would be there despite the fact that he wasn't there earlier. Really, what an annoying girl.

"But I knew you would, you always come here when it snows."

He wanted to walk back home, he really did, but instead he just stood in place a few feet behind the bench she was sitting at.

The girl turned around, a small smile appearing on her thin delicate face. It was very evident that she had been waiting there for a long time. Her soft pink hair was filled with hundreds of snowflakes, her cheeks were very bright and flushed, and her tiny body was shivering intensely from the cold.

He sighed in defeat as he reluctantly walked to the bench and sat on it.

Maybe then she will leave.

"I love it when it snows. It's so peaceful and pretty, I could watch the sky for hours."

He laughed in his mind. That's what she probably did the whole day as she waited for him.

"Don't you think?"

He turned his head towards her. Their eyes meeting for a brief second before she turned her head back, looking up at the sky.

"It's been getting busier recently at the hospital; there are a lot of people coming in since it is that time of the year."

". . ."

"I hope you stay well though, I wouldn't want you to get sick or else we wouldn't be able to meet up like this."

Did she really think he came here just to see her? He wanted to object to her statement but thought otherwise. Let her live off her fantasies.

They remained silent as they continued to watch the snow fall.

However, her shivering became more apparent the longer they sat there. He couldn't concentrate with her moving so much. It was beginning to annoy him.

He was never one for physical contact and he wasn't planning to start right there. Instead, he took off his scarf and placed it around her neck. Hopefully it would make her warmer so that she would stop trembling so much.

She smiled in appreciation as she snuggled into his scarf, enjoying its warmness.

After a few more minutes she got up still smiling that bright annoying smile.

"Thank you Winter-kun."

After she left, he stayed there a while longer before leaving.

_Winter-kun?_ What a stupid name he thought.

He realized after, she took his scarf.

* * *

When he saw her surprisingly, it wasn't at the park. It wasn't snowing that day but it was still really cold out.

She was wearing his scarf.

"Well if it isn't Winter-kun? What a surprise to run into you here!" she smiled up at him.

He grimaced. It wasn't really that much of a shock since it was just a grocery store. He only wanted to stock up on his tomatoes.

She on the other hand had lots of sweets in her basket.

He ignored her as he continued to pick out the juiciest tomatoes he could find. It was hard though with her stares and all.

"Eh? Why are you getting so many tomatoes?"

". . ."

"Hehe I didn't know you liked tomatoes so much."

Really, he wasn't in the mood to deal with her. He randomly picked out a bunch more before he proceeded to head to the check-out line.

She followed behind still grinning.

He paid and then left, hoping to get away from her as quickly as he could. Somehow, though it really shouldn't have been a surprise, she caught up to him.

"So, what are you planning to do with all those tomatoes?"

He didn't answer just continued walking to his house. They continued walking a bit more before the sound of her footsteps suddenly stopped.

Pausing for a moment, he turned around to see if she left but there she was, casting her sights at the ground.

"Won't you prove them wrong Winter-kun?" she whispered out.

Honestly, he had no idea what she was talking about. He didn't want to waste his time so he turned around and began to walk again.

She shouted, "Why won't you do it?"

Though he should've felt guilty, he didn't. He didn't do anything. Who cares if she was crying? He had no idea why she was so upset; she was so confusing at times.

But most importantly, she was annoying.

If he were some other guy he probably would've stayed, but he wasn't some other guy. He left her there continuing on to his house.

* * *

She wasn't at the park the next time it snowed. He was somewhat relieved. But then again, he was somewhat disappointed as well.

He couldn't understand it though, why was he thinking this way. It just made no sense, no sense whatsoever.

He sat there contemplating to himself if it was because of their last encounter. Sure he did feel really bad for leaving her there once he got home, but it wasn't his problem to deal with.

She was just being plain weird as usual; saying things that didn't make sense and making him listen to all of it.

_Won't you prove them wrong Winter-kun?_

What in the fucking world did she mean by that? She was too annoying for words. If she decided to come there now he would leave immediately. He really didn't need anymore confusions; she already gave him so much of it.

Though the park was supposed to help calm him down, it seemed it only made things worse. He decided to leave hoping it would prevent him from thinking so much of his frustrations.

It was really pathetic of him to get so worked up about a stupid thing an annoying girl had said.

He hoped he wouldn't see her for a while. Maybe then he would stop thinking about what she had said.

And she could keep his damn scarf for all he cared.

* * *

Lucky for him, his wish came true. He didn't see her at all after that. Not at the grocery store, not at the hospital, not even at the park when it snowed.

He should've felt happy.

He should've felt relieved.

He should've felt so many things.

But nothing would come.

Though her voice was harder to remember, he could still picture her sitting there next to him on the bench.

However, her presence was not there.

It was not the same.

And he liked things the same, unchanging. She was breaking his routine and it annoyed him.

* * *

It wasn't until winter was almost over did he see her again. He continued going to the park despite the fact if she wasn't there.

Maybe it was so that he could see if she showed up or not.

She was slouched on the bench, legs brought up to her chest as she laid her head down on her knees.

She wasn't wearing his scarf.

It was supposed to be one of the last days it snowed. Maybe this will be the last time he will see her.

He walked up to the bench and saw his scarf on the place he usually sat.

Was she finally returning it to him?

She started to talk.

"Why hello there Winter-kun?"

Why would she call him that?

"I just wanted to return your scarf back to you." Her voice was somewhat muffled since her face was buried between her knees.

"You know winter is almost over?"

He said nothing, but started getting annoyed.

"Isn't that sad? It won't snow anymore. . ."

". . ."

"It won't snow anymore Winter-kun."

He glared at her, why was she saying all these things?

"And it's really upsetting. You didn't prove them wrong, not at all Winter-kun."

Anger started building up and he didn't even know why.

For the first time he said something back.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talk—

"No I don't Sakura. I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" He was confused and hurt and just enraged.

"But you're Winter-k—

"My name is not Winter, Sakura."

They stayed silent before she started talking again.

"Did you know people call you winter?"

". . ."

"They say you're so cold and bitter and emotionless, just like winter."

She finally looked up him, tears flowing down her face.

He would have felt bad if he was emotionally stable, but his frustration just couldn't be tamed.

"Yes I fucking know Sakura! I know I'm just like winter! What did you expect?"

"I just wanted you to prove them wrong."

". . ."

She wanted him to prove them wrong. But how could he? He was cold, he was bitter, he was emotionless.

He was winter.

"I can't be someone I'm not. That's who I am."

"But you're so much more than that Sasuke-kun."

_Sasuke-kun_. It's been a while since she said his name. It sounded nice.

"Though you may be cold, bitter, and emotionless, you are other things too." He stared at her.

"You are kind, you are thoughtful, and you do care."

He didn't know how to answer, so he didn't.

"I just wanted to let you know you are so much more. More than anything anyone could say about you. I just wanted you to see that and prove everyone wrong."

". . ."

"I see you Sasuke-kun, I do."

She picked up his scarf, wrapped it around his neck, and left.

* * *

Seasons passed by and before he realized it, it was winter again.

He hadn't seen her since the day she returned his scarf back. It upset him though, it really did.

Though he refused to show it in front of others, whenever he passed by the park and saw the bench, he would think of her and his heart would clench.

He was hoping it would snow soon so that maybe he could see her again.

* * *

They said it was going to be another snow-less winter. No winter wonderland, yet again. How ironic he thought it was.

It seemed he finally figured out what he wanted, but fate just wouldn't give it to him.

He was hoping this time he could finally prove them wrong. But now, he thought otherwise.

Where was she?

Why wasn't she here?

He sat on the bench at the park even if it wasn't snowing.

He continued to wait just as she did that time long ago.

* * *

It finally snowed. And like he promised himself, he was there at the park, sitting on the bench waiting for her.

It had been awhile since he wore the scarf he let her borrow. But he did since it was snowing.

He heard someone approaching the bench.

"It's been a while hasn't it Sasuke-kun?"

He didn't turn around though; he didn't want it to be his mind playing tricks on him again. But he responded.

"Am I not Winter-kun anymore?" He could almost picture her smiling.

"Of course you'll always be Winter-kun."

He heard the sound of someone sitting on the bench and decided to look.

There she was, still with that bright annoying smile.

He wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to hold her close to, to feel her just to make sure she was real. But he was scared. He didn't want it to be a dream.

They continued to look at each other before he broke off the gaze.

Hesitantly, he untied part of the scarf around his neck and wound it around hers.

They sat there at the park, on the bench, sharing a scarf as it continued to snow.

* * *

_"Do you think winter is really cold?"_

_.  
_

_"Eh?"_

_..  
_

_". . ."_

_...  
_

_"No, I don't."_

_..  
_

_ ". . . Why?"_

_.  
_

_ "Because I have Winter-kun to keep me warm."_

* * *

_[Winter Sleep]_

_Will you hold me now? Hold me now, _

_My frozen heart  
Please make it all go away  
Am I ever gonna feel myself again?  
I hope I will_

[OLIVIA]

* * *

Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. If you find any please tell me so I could fix it.

Leave a **review** and tell me what you think please. Thanks for reading!

~七転八起


	3. It Hurts

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters because Masashi Kishimoto does. I do not own the song being used either, it belongs to 2NE1.**

.

* * *

[_It Hurts (Slow)_]

_Have you changed?_

_Am I no longer in your heart?_

_When I, I think about you  
it hurts, hurts, hurts so much_

[2NE1]

* * *

Though brief, silence filled the air as they gazed off into the sunset. Days seemed never-ending **_(unchanging, ongoing, unexciting)_**and passed without realization. Time, though seemingly precious and short, seemed to drag on. They wished just for a moment, that everything could stand still so that they could live in that one second forever.

_"What changed?"_

But forever would not come.

Not for them.

_". . . I don't know."_

Maybe then things wouldn't have turned out this way.

**_(Pain, hurt, anguish)_**

After all, time waits for no one.

* * *

He told me he would try. He would try even though he didn't love me.

But I was so infatuated with him; it didn't matter if he loved me or not. Just being able to be with him gave me the hope that one day **_(maybe, possibly, someday)_** he would. I wouldn't give up on him easily though, it just wasn't in my nature.

Yet somehow, stuff just happened.

How did things change? I'm not sure myself. I'm not even sure how things happened without my realization; everything seemed to pass by so fast.

Yet somehow, I still managed to cling to that small piece of hope that maybe, we could still be.

I just wished he did too.

* * *

"Even if you don't love me, I promise that while you're with me, I'll make everyday happy regardless."

". . ."

"We'll pinky promise on it!"

The girl brought up her hand, sticking out her small pinky finger eagerly towards the boy. Though hesitant, he slowly brought up his hand too, wrapping his larger pinky around hers.

It surprised him how soft and smooth her tiny little fingers could be. He was never they type to initiate any form of physical contact. Not even something as small as a pinky promise. But such trivial things weren't important enough to ponder about.

He had better things to focus his mind on.

But her promise **_(unrealistic, silly, a joke)_** left him surprised. He never met someone so determined, excluding his best friend, who tried so hard for him. He wouldn't get his hopes up though, that would be stupid and so unlike him.

Happiness was hard to come by, even with Naruto, it was only at certain times when maybe, he thought he might have felt it. But overall, he would pass it off as just a feeling of contentment.

And _love_? Why, that was completely absurd. It was simply not possible, not for him at least. After all the things that happened, all the fucked up shit he had to go through, it was just something unattainable. It was absolutely ridiculous to even think about attempting to feel it.

Why wish for something that could never happen?

He was just being realistic. This was life.

**_(Unfair, twisted, complex)_**

But she just amused him, more than anyone had in a while. He was so cruel though, so selfish and uncaring towards this delicate and loving girl.

It was really all for his entertainment, only to see how far she would go until she would give up.

_Just like everyone else_.

It was as simple as that.

Honestly, he didn't care if in the end he hurt the girl's feelings. It was her fault in the first place for even thinking she could try and change him.

_No one could._

He was a lost cause. He wouldn't tell her that though.

He didn't want to miss the chance to watch her fail.

And watch he did.

* * *

Sometimes he would feel bad for using her like he did. But you couldn't blame him entirely; she was the one who offered it in the first place.

_Just to make him happy._

Pathetic.

It was all pathetic.

But he enjoyed it, or at least tried to, nonetheless.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Would you like to go somewhere?"

He gave her an impassive look, just staring blankly at her face. She took it as a sign of approval and reached for his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for you to hold my hand of course!"

". . ."

Surprisingly, he followed through with it. It had been a while since he felt such warmth. But he only did so, since it reminded him so much of his childhood. Though painful as it was, he missed that warm feeling he got when someone loved him.

_Not for her though, never for her._

He allowed the girl to drag him along, walking until they reached a large stairway to an old shrine.

"I know it's a long ways up, but it's worth it."

He nodded as they continued on in climbing up the stairs. It was tiring and left them out of breath, but somehow, she still had so much energy left to pull him along.

"It's behind the shrine, just beyond these trees."

They continued on, walking behind the shrine until they saw a small little path. One would have overlooked it if one didn't look carefully.

Though many trees surrounded the thin path, other objects of nature helped in its inconspicuousness. Leaves of different shades of yellow, red, and orange were scattered everywhere, branches lay randomly fallen on the ground, and patches of weeds grew near the many pebbles of rocks on the trail.

Following on with their journey they soon reached an open space, void of all the trees they previously were surrounded with. It was quite the view, perfect for watching the sky and their tiny village below.

"I come here a lot when I want to get away from the world," her soft melodious voice whispered out as she had a nostalgic smile upon her face.

She was so short and frail, so weak looking. Her short, unusually pink, hair framed her face well though it was her eyes that sparked most attention.

So green and nature-like, just like a fallen apple from a tree.

**_(Playful, childish, full of life)_**

Honestly, her whole look just screamed fairy.

That was exactly it though. She was a fairy, this was her woodland forest, and he was the human under her magic spell.

But that was stupid.

This was not a fairytale, far from it.

_It would never be. _

Even if it was though, she should've looked more like a princess, not a fairy. And he, of course with his princely looks, would be the prince. But that would mean they would have had a chance of _something._

He would never let that happen.

After all, this was just a game.

"I hope that you can come here too when you want to escape reality." She smiled brightly at him as the sunset's glow softened the appearance of her face.

He stared at her a bit more before he finally decided to look at the beautiful scenery in front of him.

It was pleasant.

A little cliché, but it was all for his enjoyment right?

It didn't matter though, nothing did at that time.

Not even the fact that they were holding hands through the entirety of it.

* * *

"And what was your reason for going outside again?"

"Eh? I can't spend time with you without an explanation?"

"Sakura, it's cold. It's snowing. We could've stayed inside."

"But that's boring! How could being cooped up inside all day make you happy?"

". . ."

"See? It wouldn't, so that's why we're out here. Besides, snow is fun!"

The girl proceeded to run a little ahead with arms spread out beside her, head tilted upward, and mouth opened wide. It was like he was with a child. Was she seriously trying to catch a snowflake with her tongue?

He sighed as he walked towards her.

"Sakura."

"Gomen ne? I just couldn't help myself."

They continued walking along the snowy sidewalk towards the park.

"Let's sit on this bench. I'll buy us some hot drinks to help warm us up."

Relieved, he spent the next few minutes he had enjoying his alone time. It wasn't so bad after all. He didn't have to pay for his drink, he had a moment of quiet, and he wasn't stuck inside the house doing nothing.

After a few minutes of waiting, she arrived back with two hot cans of coffee from a nearby vending machine.

"Here you go Sasuke-kun. I hope this helps from the cold," she smiled, face flushed from the frosty weather.

He accepted the drink, holding it with his bare hands. It was indeed hot, but the numbness of his hands gladly welcomed the warmth. She sat beside him, a little bit too close to his liking, but acceptable since her body warmth radiated and warmed up a side of his body.

After opening up the can, he took a few sips and breathed out approvingly. He could just feel the hot liquid running down from his throat to his stomach. It was somewhat nice, just sitting there and drinking something hot.

But everything became so confusing. When did things start to become this way?

**_(Comfortable, relaxing, normal)_**

He almost forgot that all of this was just for fun.

_Almost._

He wouldn't get caught up though. He couldn't get lost in her silly attempts to capture his heart. He would never let himself fall that deep. For now he would continue on, though more cautious then before. There was no way he would let her change anything, not one single aspect in his life.

He would continue to pretend because that was all everything was in this so called relationship, _fake_.

It was kind of sad, thinking about it all. Maybe he was taking this a bit too far.

Oh well, he had to remember this was all just for him. Since when was it his priority to put others before himself?

It hadn't been, not for a while.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Do you like spending time with me?"

". . ."

"It's okay; you can tell me the truth. I promise I won't be mad."

". . . Aa."

She smiled that pretty smile of hers and sipped her drink. If only things could really be that simple. If only he had answers to everything, maybe he wouldn't have to pretend.

But that would be for another day. He would let her enjoy these moments while she could.

In spite of everything, they both knew, though they refused to acknowledge it, that eventually everything would come to an end.

So they would let themselves live this moment with no worries.

They would let themselves live through times that could have been, and possibly might be in the future. All for the tiny hope that _something_ could still form after all this was over.

But what was the use in living a _lie_?

Nothing good can result from a lie, only consequence.

But they continued believing it anyway.

* * *

They were supposed to go to the hanami festival for the cherry blossom viewing. It rained though. But she would never let things like this ruin their plans. She always came prepared; it was for him after all.

Regardless, he never seemed to mind what they did. Never protesting **_(rejecting, complaining, arguing) _**against whatever she planned for them. It was strange, even for her.

Before this whole "agreement," he never wanted to do anything with her. No matter how many times she asked, he always refused. It was odd really, what made him change his mind? Did he finally decide to give her chance? Maybe he really wanted to learn to love her?

So many thoughts and questions filled her mind. She just wanted to know for once what he was thinking; she could never tell what was going on in his brain.

It was so difficult. He was so difficult. Everything about him was so complex; but it was painful just thinking of him, thinking of what they really were.

But he always seemed to push her, and everyone else, away. However, she did come to understand him a bit, though not entirely. All the things he would tell her about himself, she would remember and lock it all in her brain forever. Even though it was not a lot of information, she was still thankful, she would take whatever she could get.

But it puzzled her, could he not see it? She loved him so much, so much it hurt; she would offer him everything and anything in exchange for nothing in return. He just had to let her in a bit more, just so that she could climb over that thick wall he put up towards her and everyone else in the world. This was her chance to show him that he had someone. That even though he could feel nothing but hurt, he would always have someone who he could confide in.

She may not be Naruto, though they were completely different in terms of their relationship stance with Sasuke, but she damn right was something in his life.

More than nothing, at least she hoped.

And until that day when maybe, he could see that light, she would never stop trying. Because she loved him and that was reason enough, right? Even though it hurt to care for him so much? Even though she knew nothing could ever be? But would it be enough? Would she be able to wait that long until he could? Would it last?

She had no clue. She just hoped that Kami-sama would bless her, and let her break through his barrier.

Until then, no matter how painful it would be, she would continue on with this relationship, whatever it was.

And she would believe in him, because she had nothing else to believe in, and it was all she had.

Through all these thoughts, they decided to stand under their shared umbrella, staring up at the pouring droplets of rain. Both had been thinking of something private, never sharing a single notion and it never became awkward.

If only their situation was like the weather. How she wished it would wash all his problems away so he could be free, free from all his burdens **_(troubles, problems, complications)_** in life. That way, maybe everything would turn out fine and their relationship wouldn't have to be based on a deal.

But she wouldn't get her hopes up too high; she knew that soon, it would all come crashing down on her.

Until then, she would wait with him, hope for the best, and watch as life passed them by.

* * *

I told her that I would try. I would try even though I didn't love her.

She just held so much love and care for me, for once, I didn't want to turn her away. So I didn't, I let her stay by my side, with an inkling of hope that one day **_(maybe, possibly, someday)_** there would be something for us in the future. Denial was all that I was good at, always refusing to see what was really there. However, I knew she wouldn't give up on me easily, I just didn't know how much she could handle.

Yet somehow, stuff just happened.

How did things change? I'm not sure myself. I'm not even sure how things happened without my realization; everything seemed to pass by so fast.

I really wanted to believe that there was something for us, but I couldn't.

I just wished she did too.

* * *

_"Sasuke-kun?"_

_"What?"_

_"Won't you lie to me please?"_

_"I can't do that."_

_"Why not?"_

_"You shouldn't have so much faith in me."_

_"But I love you Sasuke-kun, how could I not?"_

_". . ."_

_"Just say something, for me at least?"_

_"Sakura."_

_"Anything, anything that'll make me believe that there is hope for us."_

_". . ."_

_"Sasuke?"_

_"Thank you."_

And they would never forget that lonely summer night.

That special night that changed their lives forever.

* * *

_"It's time to end this."_

_"What are you talking about Sasuke-kun?"_

_"This whole charade we've been playing, it needs to stop."_

_". . . Why?"_

_"Sakura, you knew from the start feelings would never develop."_

_"I know that, but why can't we continue on with this lie?"_

_". . ."_

_"Even if it was all pretending, didn't it feel real?"_

_". . ."_

_"I won't give up, I refuse to."_

_"I'm leaving." _

If only they could live on with the fantasies they've managed to create.

It's so sad how reality always came crashing down.

* * *

_"Would you care if I changed?"_

_". . . No."_

_"Would you care if I moved on?"_

_"No."_

_"Would you care if I gave up completely?"_

_"No Sakura, I wouldn't."_

_"Would you regret it at all?"_

_". . ."_

All that was left was their pain.

But it only reminded them of what could have been and what had been.

And they wouldn't forget it because there was always a constant reminder in their chest that refused to go away.

Even if he had nothing and she had everything.

_It hurts._

* * *

Though brief, silence filled the air as they gazed off into the sunset. Days seemed never-ending **_(unchanging, ongoing, unexciting)_**and passed without realization. Time, though seemingly precious and short, seemed to drag on. They wished just for a moment, that everything could stand still so that they could live in that one second forever.

"What changed?"

_But forever would not come._

_Not for them._

". . . I don't know."

_Maybe then things wouldn't have turned out this way._

**_(Pain, hurt, anguish)_**

After all, time waits for no one.

* * *

[_It Hurts (Slow)_]

_No way, I can't recognize_

_You're not mine anymore._

[2NE1]

* * *

.

I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes in this story. If you find any, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me so I could fix it. I know how annoying these things can be and I really wouldn't mind the help.

Anyway, please leave a **review** and tell me what you think. I really would appreciate any constructive criticism and any thoughts about my oneshots. It's the only thing that really drives me to write/update more.

It would only make sense not to update if no one tells me if they like it or not.

But anyways, I still appreciate those who do take the time to read this fanfic, regardless if you like it or not, or even comment.

I give you my absolute gratitude nonetheless, thank you so much for reading!

~七転八起


	4. Reset

I know it's been a while since I've last updated these oneshots, so I apologize for those who waited for the next chapter. Thank you for waiting patiently, and I really am sincerely grateful to those who've reviewed, subscribed, and alerted. I can't thank you enough for the support, no matter how small it is.

Besides that, a good majority of this oneshot is based off of a bit of my life, so I hope you enjoy reading. I hope it doesn't seem rushed; it was actually really hard to write this since a lot of it was from experience. I also wrote part of this for an English assignment (though I changed a lot of it to fit more with this oneshot), I got a 92!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters because Masashi Kishimoto does! I do not own the song being used either, it belongs to Super Junior.**

* * *

[**_Reset_**]

_Press the reset, press press the reset  
I'm looking at you, only you  
Press the reset, press press the reset  
you, I can't forget you  
Press the reset, press press the reset  
how am I to let go of the person who's standing in front of me  
Press the reset, press press the reset_

[**Super Junior**]

* * *

"You know you're my best friend, right?" The pink headed girl stared blankly at the sunset as she continued swinging on the swing set. It was a late summer afternoon at the park, slightly hot, but still comforting. It was another countless day where she was in the company of her best friend. She continued moving her legs back and forth while she swung higher. He stayed on the seat, motionless.

". . ." She stopped moving her legs, waiting for the swing to stop moving. When it came to a halt, she turned her head to the right, staring at him intently.

"Sasuke-kun?"

". . . I also see you as . . . as someone important to me." He continued staring off at the sunset, not making any eye contact with the girl to the left of him. He wasn't the type to get emotional over things, or engage in anything in general. He didn't like making a big deal out of small matters that just weren't worth the fuss over. He liked things calm and peaceful, though she always seemed to be the exact opposite of that.

She had on a gentle smile after hearing his reply. She turned her head slowly, watching the sunset along with him. It was nice, breathing in the cool summer's breeze as the sun's rays softly shone on their skins. She began to move her legs back and forth again; she really loved the swing sets.

And he, like always, stayed there sitting in place.

* * *

Though she had summer homework to complete, she was just too lazy to start it. Her body was spread carelessly on the bed as she stared up at the ceiling. She didn't have anything to do, but she didn't feel the need to get up and do anything.

The sudden ring of her phone broke the trance she was in as she opened it up to read the message. It was from him, as usual.

"_Are you busy?"_ She gave a small smile as she replied back, punching in the letters carefully.

"_Nope. Why? Do you want to do something?"_ Content, she closed her eyes, silently waiting for his reply.

"_Let's go to the library."_

"_Okay."_ She quickly sat up, stretching her arms in the process. After going to the bathroom and applying on sun block, she ran back to her room. With speed, she found the bag she usually used to bring books back and forth from the library to her home. She was quite the avid reader, usually going to the library every week, even during the summer. Running towards the door, she changed her indoor slippers to outdoor shoes and left and locked the house.

There he was, standing outside the gate waiting patiently for her. She waved her hands at him with a big smile as she greeted him openly. He gave a nod as he began walking. She walked quickly next to him, trying to keep up as his long legs had an advantage over her small ones.

It took about 15 minutes until they arrived at the library. As they entered, a gust of cool air surrounded their bodies as they stood still to take it all in. She smiled as she went up the stairs to the young adult section to look for books to read. He followed behind her, though looking bored, he was quite interested in the new book arrivals displayed before him.

They both stood still, looking at titles and covers of books and reading a bit from each to see if they would want to take them out. She usually had more manga than books, while he had more study material over novels.

But they always seemed to meet in the middle, bumping into each other as they cruised towards the center of the book aisle.

"I think I've found all the books I want. I'm going to check them out soon. Are you almost finished Sasuke-kun?"

"Aa," he replied, quick and easy. She nodded happily as she sauntered her way towards the check out line, waiting patiently for her turn to come. He stared at her for a bit before he turned his way back to the stack of books. He looked at the titles quickly and chose a couple of books to read at home. It was sort of strange; though they always checked out books, they've never actually stayed and read them in the library.

He soon came to the check out line, which was fairly short. After his books were stamped and ready to go, he took them and placed them in his book bag for later. He walked towards the entrance and there she was waiting for him.

"Sakura."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! It's really hot today; you want to get some ice cream?"

He wasn't the type to eat sweets. But he couldn't resist the offer. It was way too hot outside, humid with no breeze, and besides, she asked him. He nodded in reply as she smiled and jumped for joy. Smirking, he lazily exited the library and started walking towards their favorite hang out spot, the park. Her favorite ice cream parlor was just nearby and they always ate the sweet treats there.

When they got there, she got her usual strawberry flavored ice cream, while he got a plain vanilla. She always liked eating it with a cone while he preferred his ice cream in a small cup. After they purchased their desserts, the walked steadily, making their way towards the park. They found that all the swings were empty, but there were a few kids sliding down the slides and climbing the monkey bars.

The pinkette smiled happily watching the children smile and laugh with joy. She couldn't help but to reminisce on her childhood, though thinking about it, he didn't really have a large part of it until they reached middle school. They've always known of each other, but never really interacted much. It wasn't until middle school when they were placed in the same class did they start to talk. After that, their friendship bloomed from there.

Now in high school, things were quite different. Though they've grown and changed over the years, they were still in fact, Sasuke and Sakura. No one could change that. They were always seen together and rarely fought over things, though at times they annoyed each other quite a bit. But overall, they really were the closest of friends. People at one point even thought they were dating, though they always denied it. That's just how close they were to each other.

They soon took their spots on the swings, her on the left swing, and him on the right. Though it was blazing hot and sweat slid down their foreheads, they continued to bear with the hot weather conditions. A little sun wouldn't hurt; after all, they did put sun block on earlier.

"Did you start your summer work Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm guessing you didn't?"

"Hehe, you know me too well." She had a slightly large smile on as he gave her a smirk.

"Don't expect me to let you copy my work."

"Well I wasn't going to copy, but maybe you could help me?" She blinked her eyes prettily at him as he sighed in defeat. He really couldn't say no to her.

"I'll come over tomorrow. Make sure you tell your parents okay?"

"Of course Sasuke-kun!" He rolled his eyes, though on the inside he was quite content. He enjoyed going over her house, it was just another day to spend with her.

After they finished their ice cream, she started to swing on the swing set. Honestly, she loved the feeling very much, she felt like she was flying. Sometimes she would imagine that she was bird spreading her wings out, soaring towards the sky. If she came back to this earth in another life, she would want to be a bird.

"I wish I could reach the sky from here."

"Why don't you go on a plane then?"

"That's not what I meant Sasuke-kun," she laughed light- heartedly as she continued swinging her legs back and forth.

"Don't you just want to grasp it in your hands sometimes? The sky is so wide and beautiful. It's endless, really. I just want to know what it's like to really be in it."

"Maybe you will someday."

"You think?"

"Who knows?" He shrugged his shoulders. He sat there, contemplating on her words though. He didn't get her at times, but it didn't annoy him too much. It was strange, she would say things like these randomly. Sometimes he just couldn't understand where she was coming from, but that didn't mean he didn't try. He really did want to understand everything about her.

He just didn't know why.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, I want you to meet my friend Karin. Karin this is Sasuke, Sasuke this is Karin." The red headed girl gave a bow as Sakura introduced her. After, she stared intently at the boy, examining his features. He was very good looking she noted as she waited for the boy in front of her to respond.

"Hn."

"Is he always like this?" Karin questioned as she adjusted her glasses on her face. She was skeptical; she never thought that Sakura would be best friends with a guy like this. But she didn't think long about it, Sakura was friends with the strangest of people.

"Yeah, but don't worry, you'll get used to it." Sakura smiled brightly at the two. They both were close friends of hers and being together with both of them made her happy.

"Karin likes going to the park too. So I invited her to come with me to meet you. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't really care."

* * *

"So, Sasuke-kun . . . what do you think of Karin?" Her eyes were glued to his face; she was fidgeting a bit waiting for his reply.

"She's okay."

"Really?" she jumped a little in excitement.

"I guess," he shrugged his shoulders not really caring about what they were talking about.

"That's good. I was hoping you guys would get along well. I want the two of my closest friends to be friends with each other!" she laughed cheerfully.

". . . Why?"

"So we can all spend time with each other of course."

". . ." He looked away, trying not to look dejected. What was wrong with just the two of them? It's not like he didn't like Karin or anything, it was just that he wasn't used to her. It was always Sasuke and Sakura and now, Sasuke, Sakura and Karin? That just didn't fit. But he would accept it if it made her happy. Just for her.

"But we don't have to Sasuke-kun. If you're not comfortable with it I understand, its okay." She glanced at him behind shy eyes. She really didn't want to put him in a position he wasn't comfortable with. After all, he was her best friend and she would do anything for him.

"Che. Whatever." She gave a small smile as she jumped to hug him. He was so tall, but somehow she managed to wrap her thin arms around his neck and embrace him. Through all her actions, she failed to notice the small blush that started to adorn his face. He closed his eyes with ease, taking in the moment of the warmth projecting from her delicate body.

Though he never returned the hug, it was enough. He never did push her away, though sometimes he would complain. She hummed happily as she let go of him and tugged on his hand. They soon were headed off, probably to the swing set.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, there you are!" she smiled happily as he ran towards his table.

"Hey."

"Sakura!"

"Karin? What are you doing here?" Sakura had a confused look on her face as she tilted her head sideways.

"Sasuke-kun invited me." Her eyes widened. _Sasuke_ invited her?

_Sasuke-kun_.

"Oh . . . cool, why don't we get ice cream then? I'm here now." She gave a nervous laugh. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of Karin being there, but the ice cream parlor was always Sasuke and Sakura's hang out spot. Sasuke didn't even tell her that Karin was coming. Though it wasn't that much of a big deal, for some reason, she had a weird sinking feeling inside.

"Oh we already got, but we'll wait for you."

". . . Okay." She gave an awkward smile towards the two and headed towards the line. Sasuke _always_ ate ice cream with her. Was something wrong? She glanced back at the table, it looked like Sasuke and Karin was having a really intense conversation. What were they talking about? Why couldn't they tell her? She sighed in rejection as the line moved up. After getting her regular strawberry ice cream in a cone, she walked back to the table.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Sasuke said coolly, avoiding all contact with the petite pink headed girl.

"Everything is fine Sakura." Karin gave a forced smile.

"Alright." Sakura gave a sad smile as she took a seat next to Sasuke. She suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore.

* * *

"Hey Sasuke-kun!" The pinkette waved her hands at him. She ran, breathing heavily as she soon paused in front of him to take in more air. Her face was a bit flushed from running the lengthy distance, but there was the usual smile on her features.

"Sakura."

"I was wondering if you were busy. Do you want to go to the park for a bit?"

"Sorry . . . I can't." He turned around facing the direction towards the roads.

"Oh . . . is that so?" she gave a disappointed look glancing towards the ground. He was never busy. He never rejected her offer before. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

". . ."

"How about later then?" she asked, though a bit more hopeful. Maybe he had some family occasion he had to attend to.

". . . I really can't." His voice was low but still audible.

"Then tomorrow!" she said with determination. She stared at him intensely trying to figure out why he kept saying no. Did she do something wrong? Maybe he was having a bad day?

"Sakura I just can't! I'll be busy for a while. Look, I have to go so I'll see you later." He walked hurriedly towards the streets not even looking back to spare her a glance as he left.

". . . Okay Sasuke-kun . . ." she whispered out, a sad smile on her face as she covered her eyes with her bangs. Maybe she really did do something.

* * *

It was 12:03am and Sakura was still awake. For some reason she just couldn't fall asleep. She continued staring up at the ceiling as the moonlight peaked from her window, shining lightly against her body. She turned her head to gaze out at the night sky. It was so beautiful; it was a crescent moon tonight. She sighed as she looked at the message she typed into her cellphone.

Should she send it to him? She really wanted to, but it seemed like he was avoiding her for some reason. He was picking up her calls less and he wouldn't text her anymore. Her eyes started to become watery as she began to think about their last meeting. What went wrong?

Tears started cascading down her face as she closed her eyes.

"_I miss you Sasuke-kun."_

* * *

Today was her birthday. She was sitting on the couch, phone on her lap. She was wondering if any of her friends remembered her birthday. Usually she would spend it with her family by having a nice dinner, but that was after they came back from work. And before then, Sasuke would usually come over and celebrate with her, but things were a bit different now. Would he still come anyway?

Sakura stared down at her phone, expecting some type of phone call or message from him, but nothing came. She sighed sadly as she tossed her phone to the other side of the couch. _Ding dong!_ Her thoughts were soon interrupted with the sound of the doorbell. Her eyes widened as she ran to her front door and opened it.

"Happy Birthday Sakura." It was Sasuke. He was holding a small wrapped present in his hands.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?" she smiled happily as she clasped her hands in joy.

"You didn't think I would forget your birthday, did you now?"

"Thank you! I'm so happy that you're here. Can I open your present now?'

"It's your birthday, do what you want." She grabbed the present out of his hands as she ran towards the couch. After plopping down, she grabbed the card that was taped onto the present and read its content.

"From Sasuke and . . . Karin?" Sakura looked up at the dark headed boy, a bit confused.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure what to get you so I asked Karin for help. We ended up buying your present together."

"Oh, I'll be sure to thank Karin later then." Sakura placed the card carefully down as she slowly opened the gift wrapping. She wasn't so excited anymore.

After opening the box she found cute pink candles with hearts on them, a cute flower covered tea cup, and some herbs to make tea. Her eyes widened in amazement as she took out each of the items from the box. It was just what she wanted.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun, I really love it." She gave a soft smile towards him as she put the items back into the box. She put her present on the table as she got up from the couch and stretched out her arms.

"So what do you want to do for your birthday?"

"Hm . . . I don't know? How about we go to the park? It's been a while since we've been there together."

"Alright. I'll text Karin to meet us there."

"No!"

". . .?"

"I mean no it's okay. I'll text her," she giggled uncomfortably as she reached for her phone. She scrolled down her contacts until she reached Karin's name. Cautiously, she glanced up at Sasuke who was staring out the window. His hands were in his pockets as usual, she could only see the side of his face. He really was handsome from every angle you looked at. His dark hair framed his face well, though he was very pale in comparison. Though he was thin himself, you could still see the outlines of some muscles from his t-shirt. But really, it was all about his eyes. Though she could only see one of them, it was very beautiful from the sun light. Usually black, the sun just gave an extra light twinkle into his eyes, making the black colors lighter and richer. It was beautiful.

Sakura looked back at the screen of her phone and then started typing in letters.

* * *

"Thanks for dropping me off Ino."

"No problem, I'll text you later to pick you up. Don't study for too long okay?" Sakura nodded her head as she closed the car door.

She walked up the stairs towards the entrance to the library. This was her first time in a while coming here without Sasuke. It was really weird; they always went to the library together to check books out. She laughed to herself, this would be the first time she would actually stay in the library and read a book. She usually just looked for books, checked them out, and then left, but she was always up for new experiences.

After entering the library she went towards the stairs to the next floor. While she climbed it she heard a familiar chuckle, it was rich, deep and melodic. Her heart beat accelerated as she quickened her pace. When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she couldn't believe what she saw in front of her.

_Sasuke and Karin._

She blinked her eyes repetitively, trying to assure herself that the image in front of her was just her imagination. Karin's voice shook her from her thoughts as she realized that in fact, this was all real.

She wanted to run away. She felt so betrayed. First the ice cream parlor, then the swings, now the library? What the hell was going on? She closed her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in frustration as she tried to think of what to do. Before she could make a move, Karin called her over.

"Sakura?"

"Oh hi Karin!" she smiled uncomfortably.

"How are you doing? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm doing well; I'm actually here to study."

"Oh really? How studious of you!"

"Yeah . . ." Sakura gave a forced out laugh.

"Karin, where'd you put that math reference book I was looking at?" She turned her attention towards the dark headed male sitting down at the table. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. No greeting. He didn't even look up at her. His focus was all on the books in front of him. Was she that unimportant?

"It's right over there. What are you blind?"

Sakura continued to stare at them, watching them talk and interact. They seemed like they were going out. Maybe that's what happened; maybe Sasuke was too scared to tell her. Were they secretly dating? She looked down at the ground, trying to distract herself with pretending to look at something interesting.

"Why don't you sit with us Sakura?"

"Oh no it's okay. I really can't be distracted; I really need to study for this science test."

"Oh, maybe Sasuke-kun can help you?"

"No it's fine; I don't want to be a bother."

"But Sak—

"I'll see you guys later."

She quickly turned around and ran back down the stairs and out the door. Tears started building up in her eyes as she dragged herself towards a bench near the library. There was a numbing pain in her chest as her breathing got heavier. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the bench.

"Hello?"

"Ino?"

"Well that was quick; it hasn't even been 10 minutes."

"I'm really sorry, can you pick me up?" she tried her best not to sob, but it came out anyway.

"Are you crying? Oh shit. Okay, don't worry, I'm coming."

"Thanks Ino."

* * *

She awoke to the loud ringing of her cell phone. She squinted her eyes, glaring at the clock that rested on the nightstand. Though barely visible, Sakura managed to make out the big red numbers that read 10:36.

"Who is texting me so early in the morning?" she whined.

She rubbed her eyes, and then yawned as she stretched her arms up into the air. Playing Final Fantasy all night could really tire a person out. Her eyes started to get droopy as they were fighting to close due to the lack of sleep she got. Though she wanted to just plop back onto her bed and sleep, the constant ringing of her phone thought otherwise. With a sigh, she picked up her phone, pressed down on the center button, and opened the text message she received.

"_I'm moving to Otokagure,"_ it said.

Her body froze. She stared blankly at the screen, wondering if what she was reading was really there. Her grip on her phone tightened as she started to reread the text message. "I'm moving to Otokagure. I'm moving to Otokagure. I'm moving to Otokagure," she whispered out. They've been best friends since 7th grade, going on their 5th year since then, but now, all of that could change.

For some reason, that small sentence just wouldn't compute in her mind. She didn't know how to respond so she just typed back whatever she could think of. _"I'm really going to miss you," _she replied. Her eyebrows started to knit together. Once she heard her ringtone again, she quickly slid open her phone, reading the words on the screen, _"I'm going to miss you too. We can still hang out and talk though." _

Her heart was beating erratically as her breathing became faster. It felt like she was a goldfish out of water suffocating as she gasped in more air. Through the trembling of her hands, she managed to punch in letter by letter, her response.

"_Yeah, you can even stay over during the summer too so that you can see everyone else as well,"_ she replied.

"_Yeah that would be fun,"_ he sent back. Frantically, she typed in, _"Don't forget to keep in contact_!" as she closed my eyes while she pressed 'OK' for the message to send. The wait was long, but he finally responded back.

"_I won't,"_ he answered.

With a final click, she closed her phone and tossed it onto her bed. Even after they finished "talking," the severity of his message didn't seem to register in her mind. It wasn't until she picked back up the phone, slid open the top slowly, and read his message again, that her breathing stopped.

Tears started to cascade down her face as she fell back onto her bed. Not even the soft comforts of her pillows could lessen the blow of his words. No matter how much she wanted to stop thinking of it, the terrible aching in her chest wouldn't let her forget. Only one thought crossed her mind: _she was being left behind_.

* * *

It was late in the evening and Sakura wanted to watch the sunset. It's been a while since she visited the park so she decided to go. After sitting on her usual swing, she looked up out at the sky. She didn't have the energy to swing her legs.

"Sakura-chan! What's up? What are you doing here?"

"Oh hey Naruto! Nothing really." She continued to stare out at the sunset.

"How is Sasuke-teme doing?"

". . . I'm sorry I don't really know." She turned her head away from the boy. She couldn't look anyone in the eye, especially if they began talking about _him_. She knew if she did, she would just start crying.

". . . Eh?"

". . ."

"Aren't you guys' best friends or something? What the hell happened?" his voice rose up, a hint of worry in it.

"Lots of things happened. People change and people move on. That's just how life is."

". . . Sakura-chan? . . ."

She continued sitting on her swing and staring at the scenery before her.

No wonder he always just sat there.

* * *

"_You really are an idiot."_

"_Shut up Karin," he growled out._

"_Why can't you just tell her? You're just going to end up hurting her more," she replied back._

"_If that's what needs to be done . . . then so be it." He glanced back at Sakura who was on line waiting to buy her ice cream._

"_Are you serious? You're just going to avoid her for the next month? It's not going to lessen the pain for her . . . or for you. It'll just be harder, for the both of you. You have to tell her now that you're moving."_

"_I will!" he yelled._

"_Then do it!"_

"_No! . . . I can't . . . I just can't," he sighed in defeat. He wouldn't know what to do if he saw her cry. He rather have her hate him forever then see her cry because of him. It would be easier, for the both of them._

* * *

"It's been a month since Sasuke left."

"Oh . . . really?"

". . ."

". . ."

"Well?"

"What?"

"Aren't you going to ask about him? Anything? Something?" Karin raised an eyebrow in expectancy.

"Why would I? He doesn't care about me."

"You don't know that Sakura."

"And how would I? How would I Karin, when he's always with you now!" Sakura screamed. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone? Why did Sasuke always have to be mentioned in every conversation? She didn't give a fuck. She just didn't give a fuck anymore.

"Sak—

"No Karin. I don't want to hear any of it. I don't care anymore okay? I don't give a fuck anymore."

" . . . I'm really sorry Sakura. Truly, I am." Karin bowed her head down in apology. She wished she knew the truth. Fuck her for promising Sasuke she wouldn't say anything to Sakura. God, everything was such a mess.

". . . It's fine. I guess this is just how things were meant to be." No matter how much Sakura wanted to hate her, she really couldn't. It was Sakura who wanted originally for Sasuke and Karin to be friends. She just never expected this outcome to occur from it.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am. Things happen for a reason. This is just how it's supposed to be."

"I really wish it wasn't."

"Yeah? Well you're not the only one." They continued sitting in silence. Nothing else needed to be said.

* * *

" . . . How's Sakura?" he asked hesitantly.

"She used to ask about you a lot. She doesn't anymore."

". . ."

"You know, after everything you did, was really all of it necessary?" Karin glared at the dark headed boy across from her.

"She needed this. She can't depend on me forever. I'm not what she wants. I can't be that gu—

"You didn't even try."

". . ." he sighed combing his hair back with his fingers.

"Whatever, what's done is done; I just can't believe it ended up like this."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" His temper began to rise.

"Look you did what you did, whatever. I don't care anymore."

"Che."

"I just want to know one thing though; do you even regret it at all?"

". . ." He stared blankly at her. Did she really just ask him that?

"Sasuke," she said in a stern tone.

". . . Of course I do." He looked away towards the window.

The sun was setting.

* * *

It was a Saturday afternoon. Sakura and Ino were hanging out at the mall. After a bit of shopping, they decided to buy some bubble tea and sit on some benches a bit away from the food court. Even though it was a Saturday, it didn't seem like a lot of people were at the mall. It was strange, since it was the weekend the mall was usually always packed. It wasn't even the morning.

"So I was like 'Sai? Are you serious?' and then he was all like 'Yeah' and then . . . Sakura?"

"Shit."

"What the fuck is wrong?"

"Ino we need to go somewhere else now. Anywhere but here, please!" she said frantically trying to look for a store they could go into.

"Sakura calm down, what the hell is going on?" Without a response Sakura quickly hid half her body behind Ino.

"Ino just look at me okay, and make sure that you're blocking my face."

"Don't tell me it's . . ." The blonde headed girl turned her eyes slowly to the left. She gasped.

It was Naruto and Sasuke.

"Don't worry Sakura." After a few minutes, they were out of sight. Sakura slouched back onto the bench, her head bowing down.

"Did he see me?"

"No. I don't think so." Sakura sighed in relief. After two years, she really didn't know what she would do if they came up to her. Thank goodness Naruto didn't notice them or else he would've shouted out towards them. Then _he_ would've come towards them and . . . she breathed out, at least nothing did happen.

"Come on, let's go to my place. I think we've had enough of shopping for now." Ino stood up and grabbed Sakura's hand, tugging her along towards the parking lot entrance. She kept her eyes on the ground and allowed Ino to drag her along.

She didn't dare look back.

* * *

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! What's wrong?"

". . ."

"Teme?" Naruto turned his head to look in the direction Sasuke was looking in. He didn't see anyone or anything interesting or familiar.

"Nothing. Just forget about it, let's go."

* * *

[_**Reset**_]

_But forgive me,_

_I can't do it. _

_I can't forget you, come back._

[**Super Junior**]

* * *

I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes in this story. If you find any, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me so I could fix it.

Anyway, please leave a **review**, especially for this particular chapter because it really is very special to me. Has something like this ever happened to you? I really wonder. Tell me what you think, I would really appreciate it! Hehe sorry, it really sounds like I'm begging.

Thank you for reading!

~七転八起


	5. Flower

I would like to thank **Gerkyhen**, **Ushna**, and **mistressinwaiting** for reviewing in the previous chapter. I truly appreciate it, thank you guys so much!

I know it's been a while but I suddenly had an urge of inspiration and these are the results!

I would like to dedicate this to **mistressinwaiting**; honestly I didn't realize how depressing the majority of these oneshots were. So on a lighter note here's a happier oneshot!

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters used in the story because Masashi Kishimoto does. I do not own the song being used either it belongs to BRIGHT.**

* * *

[**_Flower_**]

_Hey, how long have I had this feeling?  
I can't get this weight off my chest  
Today, so long after we met  
Yeah, I want to know everything, everything  
I want to hear your voice again and again,  
Want to feel that warmth  
But I can't find the right words,  
Can't say it in mere words_

[**BRIGHT**]

* * *

"Ino, I can't do it!" panicked a pink-headed girl. She fidgeted in the seat of her desk, staring at its wooden surface in attempt to distract herself.

"Oh come on Sakura, stop being a coward. Just confess to the guy." A blonde headed girl next to her rolled her eyes.

"Do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth?"

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid. Just do it already, you've got nothing to lose."

"I don't know Ino." She continued staring down at her desk, a nervous look appearing on her pale, delicate face. She had never confessed to anyone before and she wasn't experienced at all when it came to relationships. She was new to all of these things—especially when it came to love. She sighed in frustration as she laid her head down on the desk. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of something that would help her in this situation. Nothing came to mind.

"It's easy, just hand him the note and walk away," Ino said nonchalantly as she inspected her nails, glaring at the faded purple chipped nail polish.

"I didn't even write the note yet . . ."

"Are you serious?" her best friend yelled as she stood up from her desk, slamming both her hands on the desk. Their classmates, who were still in the classroom, stared at them as everything went silent. Talk about awkward.

"Shhh, be quiet you pig! Everyone will know!" Sakura growled at the girl. She really didn't want everyone to know what was going on. She never really liked the attention or the embarrassment that usually followed after something like this would happen. That is to say, it did happen quite a bit since it was Ino.

"I can't believe you Sakura. We discussed this all week that you were going to do this and you didn't even write the note? Ughhh for someone who is so smart, you can be so incompetent at times."

"Hey! It's not my fault I'm really nervous. I've never done this before."

"Look, I'm sorry okay? Just write the note tonight. You have all day to think of what you want to write. This will be your homework. You better have it by tomorrow though forehead."

"Whatever pig," the pinkette grunted.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The pink-headed girl slowly dragged herself out of the school building, making her way sluggishly towards the sidewalk. She really didn't feel like going home because home meant homework, and homework meant the note, and the note meant confessing, and confessing meant—she shook her head. Her life really couldn't get any more frustrating than this.

"Sakura-chan!" She looked up in confusion. Who would be calling out her name? She turned around to look for the owner of the voice. She sighed in irritation. Of course, she really should've known who it would be.

"Sakura-chan, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been? I was getting so lonely without you. I mean, you left me alone with the teme and God knows how bad that would turn out."

"Shut up dobe, you're giving me a headache with all you're whining."

And there he was, the person to whom she was going to give the note to. Well, that was if she actually wrote the note. She shook her head trying to focus on the situation at hand.

"So how was your day?" the blonde-headed boy asked.

"It was okay I guess. You know, the usual," she shrugged trying to be nonchalant.

"So you mean getting the highest test score out of everyone else." Sakura's left eye started twitching.

"Well at least she isn't last. Dead last," Sasuke smirked.

"Take that back you bastard before I make you!" Naruto retorted. He got into a fighting stance ready to kick some chicken ass hair butt.

Sakura sighed, "Can you guys not argue for once? I'm not really in the mood to deal with it today."

"Hn."

"You got off easy this time teme. When Sakura isn't here I'll kick your butt." Naruto smirked cockily as he held up the peace sign.

Soon they came to an intersection. Naruto lived on the road on the left while Sasuke and Sakura's homes where on the left road. Before they separated, Naruto waved his hand energetically as they said they're goodbyes.

Even though she usually walked home with Sasuke, today was even more awkward then the previous. Because "the note" had been occupying her mind, the idea of giving it to Sasuke just really made her nervous. Just by being around him now she would start fidgeting.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke raised one eyebrow looking at her curiously.

"N-nothing. Don't worry about it," Sakura laughed nervously as she scratched the side of her cheek.

They continued walking in silence. Sakura still contemplating what she would have to do tonight. She didn't even notice how slow she was walking as Sasuke was walking in front of her. Not even seeing him stop, she bumped into his back.

"Wah, I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going . . ."

"Hn." The dark-headed boy grunted in response as he looked over his shoulder.

Sakura tilted to her side as she gave him a questioning look. He shook his head as he looked forward.

"If anything is bothering you, you should just tell me."

"Eh?"

"I mean we're friends aren't we?"

"Um, hai."

"Friends look out for each other. And don't forget about that stupid dobe. Out of everyone he would help you in a heartbeat," he grunted.

"Sorry I didn't mean to become so burdensome." Sasuke turned around to look at the pinkette. He sighed as he reached up and ruffled her hair.

"Just don't make us worry."

Sakura's eyes widened. Sasuke was never really the type to voice out any type of feelings of concern. He was usually very reserved and cool. So for him to say something so . . . caring was quite a surprise. Sure they were friends, but still, he wasn't that expressive to anyone.

She nodded her head in reply as they started walking again. She felt better knowing that Sasuke really did care for her. It seemed like she had a bit of a bounce to her step as they walked home. The atmosphere changed to normal as the awkwardness disappeared.

Sasuke glanced down to the pinkette next to him. Her smile was light and content as she began talking. He smirked, closing his eyes as they continued walking.

* * *

Nighttime came as the sky began to darken and the sun began to set. Sakura turned on her desk lamplight so that she could continue to study and do her homework. Ever since she came home she couldn't stop thinking about the moment she had with Sasuke. Yes it was a _moment_, she giggled to herself as she played with the cute pink mechanical pencil in her hand.

She placed her head on her hands as she leaned on them on her desk. She had liked Sasuke for the longest time and since they were in high school, shouldn't their relationship progress? The pinkette sighed as she leaned back on her desk chair, her head rolling back as she closed her eyes in contemplation. They've always been friends—just friends.

"But I want something more," Sakura whined to herself. With fighting spirit Sakura formed a fist as she punched upward into the air to show off her determination.

"Ino's right I've got nothing to lose. I can do it! Yosh!" With fiery eyes and a set mind, she put herself to the task. Getting out her special stationary and red inked pen, she laid it on top of her notebook. And yet all she could do was sit there and stare at the parchment in front of her. What the hell was she going to write?

"Well I certainly can't sound stupid. Even if I get rejected, the letter should be written with some worth, something that would even make the gods proud!"

"But then again I'm sure whatever I do write will sound stupid. Stupid note. Stupid Sasuke. Why can't you just understand how I feel and run into my arms and return my feelings?" Sakura cried laying her head on top of her desk.

"But I guess this is better than doing nothing. No matter what I write I'm giving this to him regardless. I don't care anymore, I don't want this unrequited love to last forever."

With some courage Sakura lifted herself off the desk, grabbed the red pen, and started writing.

* * *

"So did you write it?"

"Eh? Ino! Where'd you come from?"

"From my mom's stomach of course, but that's not important! What's important is if you did the homework I specifically assigned you." An evil glint was evident in the blue-eyed girl across from her.

Sighing, Sakura replied, "Yes I did. You happy now?"

"Yatta!" Ino grabbed both of the pinkette's hands.

"That means today is confession day," the blonde squealed in excitement as she swung Sakura around.

"Ino calm down please. People are starting to stare."

"Who cares if they stare? It's none of their business anyway." Ino glared at the students surrounding them. In return they jumped in surprise as they scurried their way to class.

"So when are you going to give him the note?"

"Well—

"Are you going to leave it in his shoe locker?"

"Um—

"Leave it on his desk while he's at PE so when he comes back it'll be right there?"

"Actually—

"Well what is it?"

"Would you at least stop cutting me off?" Sakura raised her eyebrow as she placed both hands on her hips.

"Hehe, gomen."

"Now that I'm done being interrupted, I was thinking of giving it to him when we walk home because it'll just be me and him."

"Oh you sneaky girl," Ino smiled mischievously.

"What?"

"Planning to get him all alone, when no one's around."

"Ino you know it's not like that," the pinkette glared at her best friend.

"Calm down, I was just messing with you. But seriously good luck! You can do it!"

"Thanks Ino. I just hope everything will turn out okay." Sakura stared off, a distant look appearing on her face. Ino sighed as she patted her friend on the back.

"If he rejects you that means he wasn't worth your love in the first place. Then you can fall in love with someone who actually reciprocates your feelings and you can live happily ever after, ne?"

"Yeah, I'm just scared. You know?"

"I know, how do you think I got Kiba?"

"Eh? I thought he was the one who confessed to you?"

"Haha I lied because I was embarrassed of people knowing that I had to actually be the one confessing. You know how guys usually confess to me? I didn't want to ruin my reputation," Ino winked at the green-eyed girl.

"Oh Ino. You never change, not even in high school."

The girls laughed as they continued on their way to class.

* * *

Soon school ended. Sakura didn't have cleaning duties today or any clubs so she would be able to walk with Sasuke and Naruto again. As soon as she changed from her indoor shoes to her outdoor shoes she was out the door. She made sure to put the letter in her pocket so it would be easy to take out once she gave it to him. Sakura took a deep breath in as she made her way to their meeting place. Naruto and Sasuke were already at the gate, arguing as usual, everything would turn out fine.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura waved to them.

"Hey Sakura-chan!"

"Hn." Sasuke smirked at her. At light blush adorned her face as she looked at him. He was just too cute! How in the world was she going to give him the letter if she makes her all embarrassed and nervous?

"Ready to walk home?" Sakura nodded her head nervously as she gave an uncomfortable smile.

Both boys looked at each other and then shrugged. Girls were just weird at times. They continued to walk home Naruto oozing with energy, Sakura sighing in frustration, and Sasuke bored and serious. Without knowing Sakura's note started peaking out of her pocket.

"Eh?"

"What's wrong Naruto?"

"What's that in your pocket?" Sakura jumped in surprise as she shoved her hand to make the letter nonvisible.

"Oh it's nothing just a piece of paper that fell on the ground nothing serious." Sakura started to babble; scared she was going to be caught.

Naruto raised his eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. Sakura's eyes widened as she brought up her hands in protest.

"It's not what you think—

"I didn't know Sakura-chan was so popular. Did I lose my chance?"

"Eh?"

"Isn't that a love letter? So who's the guy that gave it to you?"

"Uh, well…"

"Hn. It's your stop dobe."

"But—

"Don't you have to get home early to clean your room before your Okaa-san get's home?"

"Oh crap she's going to kill me. Knowing Okaa-san, she'll have no mercy. I'll see you guys later!" Naruto turned left as he ran down the road.

Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Thank goodness for that or else Naruto would've embarrassed her even more in front of Sasuke. They would have discovered her plan! But now that Naruto was gone, that meant they were alone. This was her chance to confess!

She gulped as she turned to look at Sasuke who had an annoyed expression on his face.

Sakura cringed at his glare as she asked, "Are you okay Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn," he grunted as he walked ahead of her.

Sakura ran after him trying to catch up. Curse her legs for being so short!

"Sasuke-kun! Matte! You're walking too fast."

Sasuke stopped abruptly causing the small pinkette to bump into him again. Rubbing her nose in pain she stomped her right foot glaring at the tall brooding boy in front of her.

"What is your damn problem?"

"It's none of your business." The dark headed boy glared down at her.

"Of course it is! Didn't you say that whatever is bothering one of us we can let the other know of the problem? Stop being such a prick!"

"Well stop being so damn annoying!"

"Eh?"

"You and the dobe . . . and that stupid love note!"

"This love note isn't stupid at all!"

"I doubt it. Whoever wrote it is probably an idiot. Why would you even accept—

Sasuke stopped as he saw tears starting to stream down her face. A sobbed escaped her lips as she brought up her arm to hide her red puffy eyes.

"This stupid love letter is for you baka. If it's so stupid then I won't give it to you then. Who would want something from an annoying idiotic girl anyway?"

". . ."

Sakura pushed past Sasuke as she ran to her house. She was ready for rejection but she didn't know it would hurt this bad.

Upon entering her room she grabbed the note in her hand and started ripping it to pieces.

"Stupid love letter. Stupid Sasuke. Stupid feelings . . . Stupid me."

Sakura dropped to the floor. The ripped pieces of the letter surrounded her as her tears dropped to the ground. She wanted nothing more than to just wither away.

* * *

_Knock! Knock!_

Sakura sat up from off the ground. Had she fallen asleep? She looked down to see the ripped pieces of paper scattered everywhere. Sighing she picked them up as she threw them away into the trash. That confession was a fail.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Sakura?" a gentle voice called from behind the door.

"Ne?"

"Sasuke-kun is here to see you."

Her eyes widened. What was he doing here? If he came to apologize then she didn't want it. She didn't want to see him after he made a fool out of her.

"Tell him I'm not here Okaa-san!"

"Too late I already told him you're in your room. Don't be rude and go outside to see what he wants."

With a dejected sigh the pinkette replied, "Hai."

Sakura opened the door and slumped her way down the stairs. She changed into her outdoor shoes and stood in the entranceway of her house. After taking in a deep breath she opened the door and walked outside.

Sasuke was leaning on the gateway of her house, arms crossed as his eyes were closed.

"You wanted to see me?" Sakura muttered.

Opening an eye he looked up and grunted as he started walking away.

"Hey! Don't walk away from me when you made me come outside just to see you! Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura started walking after him. So much anger built up just thinking about what happened earlier. But since she was stubborn, she refused to say anything else to the boy in front of her. Soon they started walking in a steady pace with Sasuke ahead and Sakura following him from behind. It was quiet but not awkward. Sakura's angriness disappeared started to diminish as she continued following. Why was he doing all of this?

She stopped in place as she looked down on the floor.

"You call me out just to talk to me, yet you don't even say anything? What's wrong with you?"

" . . ."

"Isn't rejecting me enough? Why must you hurt me even more?"

" . . . That wasn't my intention."

"So what was? Have you come to rub it in my face, I've already been made a fool of Sasuke. I won't be embarrassed again," Sakura snarled in bitterness.

" . . . I didn't know the letter was for me and . . . I didn't mean to yell at you." Sakura looked up in surprise.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Did you really write the letter for me?"

"Yes . . ."

It was silent as they just stood there. Sasuke turned around and grabbed Sakura's arm pulling her into a soft embrace.

"Thank you."

Sakura's eyes softened as she returned the embrace. This will be enough for now.

* * *

"So how'd it go forehead?"

"I got rejected."

"What? No way! I thought this plan would work. I mean out of all the girls in this school, you were the one who he showed the most interest to."

"Ino—

"That jerk! I should beat him up! How could he reject you like that?"

"Ino—

"You're a pretty girl. I mean not as beautiful as me, but you've got your own set of admirers." Sakura's left eye began to twitch as her best friend continued ranting on.

"Ino!"

"What? Why aren't you upset about it?"

With a small smile she replied, "I'm not giving up though."

"Eh?"

"I have the rest of high school to change his feelings towards me. But even if he still rejects me at least I know that I gave it my best shot. Like you said, I've got nothing to lose!"

Ino smirked in return, "That's my girl! Show him what you got and get the ice cube to fall for you!"

"So how'd you confess to Kiba?"

"S-Sakura!"

* * *

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Where's Naruto?"

"He has cleaning duty today."

"Oh." Sakura began to fidget. Although things were okay between her and Sasuke she still felt a little uncomfortable around him. Sasuke lifted up his hand and ruffled her hair.

"Ready to go?" Sakura looked up. A smirk adorned has flawless face. Sakura gave a small smile in return as she nodded her head.

Even though their relationship hadn't progressed to the way Sakura wanted, who knows what the future has in store for them?

"I won't give up on you just yet Sasuke-kun."

"Hn." A small smile appeared on his face as he started walking.

"Hey! Don't walk so fast!"

* * *

[**_Flower_**]

_Can't lose it anywhere, one Love  
the flower growing in my heart  
I wanna see your smile, and I sing for you_

[**BRIGHT**]

* * *

I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistake. I didn't proofread it so I'll definitely edit it later I just wanted to get this out there.

Please **Leave a REVEIW** and tell me what you think. I would really appreciate it!

Thank you so much for reading!

~七転八起


	6. Smoke

I would like to dedicate this short chapter to **mistressinwaiting** & **DiamondDreams789FIFi **for reviewing the previous chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters used in the story because Masashi Kishimoto does.**

* * *

[_**Smoke.**_]

* * *

It was nighttime when she decided to take a walk. Too many things were on her mind to go to sleep. It was winter and the cold made her cheeks numb, but she didn't care. When you needed to get away from the world you'd go anywhere but face reality.

She sighed as she took a cig out of her pack and placed it in her mouth. Her lighter, if she remembered correctly, was left somewhere in her pockets. After shuffling her hands around in the holes of her jacket, she found it. She quickly turned the spark wheel to ignite the flame. She brought it up to her mouth where her cig was.

After lighting the cancer stick, she inhaled, keeping the smoke in her mouth and inhaling a bit before removing the cig out of her mouth and blowing the smoke out. She sighed as she combed her hair back out of her face.

It was one of those nights.

She continued smoking her cig while looking up at the sky. The moon was full but strangely dim. There weren't any clouds in the way, but for some reason the light just wasn't as bright as before.

She took in another drag before she exhaled out again. She use to smoke occasionally, but after all the stress building up in her life it seemed she had become a regular. It became her nightly ritual almost. _Addiction._

And if she died from cancer or some shit just from smoking, oh well. She didn't give two flyin' fucks.

"Smokin' again?"

She turned around and rolled her eyes.

"Well if it isn't the almighty Uchiha. And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" She gave him a playful bow with mocking grin on her small face.

The gesture, in turn, made him roll his eyes. "Hn, sarcastic as ever."

"Well, sarcasm is my second language." She smirked after blowing smoke towards his face.

He raised an eyebrow and proceeded to take out a black pack of cigs.

She placed one hand on her hip and looked at him expectantly, "You couldn't even wait 'til I offered you one?"

"I don't smoke pink cigs."

"Oh fuck you."

He chuckled a bit before he replied, "But it's not a surprise. A pinkette who smokes pink cigs; suits you."

She gave a small pout as she muttered, "Yeah, whatever."

He held out his hand moving his fingers back and forth at her. Sakura rolled her eyes as she dug through her pockets again to get her lighter. Once she got it she threw it at the midnight blue haired boy. He caught it gracefully and brought the lighter to the cig in his mouth and lit it. After inhaling some smoke and exhaling out, he handed the lighter back to the pinkette.

"So what brings you around?" Sakura asked as she exhaled some smoke. She continued looking up at the sky where the dimly lit moon was. If she looked at the boy she knew he would suck her in. She wouldn't be able to look away.

Sasuke gave a deep sigh as he replied, "Needed to clear my mind."

"Oh what a coincidence, me too." She tapped her cig a bit so the burnt ends would fall off.

"Hey Sasuke?"

He glanced an eye back at her to show he was listening.

She looked at the ground as she slid her shoe back and forth across the concrete floor. Somehow the ground was very interesting all of a sudden. "How come we never went out?"

Sasuke paused before carefully saying, "You weren't my type."

The pink haired girl bit her bottom lip as she glanced back at the boy, "So what is?"

"Are we seriously having this conversation right now?"

"Well, I'm just curious. You're the only guy that ever _got_ me."

It was silent as they continued smoking some more. It wasn't awkward, but not comforting either.

In an effort to move the conversation along she casually asked, "So how's Karin?"

Sasuke gave a soft laugh as he smirked, "How many times do I have to say this? We never went out."

"That's not what she told me. We're friends you know." Sakura pouted. Karin would always brag on and on about the many dates she went on with Sasuke. They weren't close friends, more like mutual since Ino was both their best friend.

Karin seemed to always compete with Sakura with everything though, whether be Ino's attention or Sasuke's. Sakura scoffed at this. Karin was just too possessive of the people around her. She didn't have to worry about Sakura stealing anyone really. It was sad that even she knew she wasn't much of a threat herself.

"Well you should know I don't go out with my best friend's cousin." Sakura laughed at this. It was strange since Naruto and Karin were distant cousins and yet were complete opposites. Sakura often wondered how they could be related since Naruto was nothing but a sweetheart to her. Though Karin wasn't necessarily kind, it was obvious she didn't really like Sakura as seen through trying to get Ino and Sasuke to herself.

"Well—

"Are you seriously gonna keep asking me questions?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Well can you blame me?"

He shook his head in dismissal.

The pinkette looked to the side so he couldn't see the deep blush adorning her cheeks. She quietly muttered, "You know I always had a thing for you."

Sasuke slightly stiffened at her words but didn't reply.

Silence surrounded the two again.

He took a deep breath before blowing smoke out through his nose. She slightly cringed at this. She always preferred breathing out the smoke through her lips.

Her cig was nearing the filter end so she dropped it on the ground and used her shoe to stub out the smoke.

"Well, my cigs done. I'm gonna head back to the dorms." She swiftly passed him not even sparing him a glance. She just wanted to get out of there. It was just like the first time he subtly rejected her. Honestly, this wasn't something she wanted to go through again. One heartbreak was enough.

But she didn't get too far as he spoke. She paused at the question asked of her.

"And what would you do if I kissed you right now?"

The pinkette turned around to glare at the boy behind her. A brighter blush was evident on her cheeks. "S-Stop playin' with me."

The dark headed boy chuckled as he walked up to the girl and ruffled her hair. She pouted up at him as she tried fixing her now messed up locks.

He gave her a crooked grin as he bent down to her eye level. Looking straight into her eyes he smirked, "Hn. You're still a kid, Haruno."

* * *

**Review please.**

~七転八起


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